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I just had my first smudge while writing which also resulted in ink marks on my fingers. This is using a Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue ink from a bottle. I'm curious as to why slow dry inks are still produced. Anyone have any knowledge for this nubie FP user? FWIW, I did a search but didn't find my answers.
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Good question.
Like, why can't all inks be quick drying? How does one make an ink that dries quickly? Maybe there is some kind of trade off in using chemicals that promote faster drying. I never really grasped chemistry very well so I have far more questions than answers, sadly.
Someone went out of their way to make the quickest "drying" ink once. They even bragged that you didn't need a blotter!
Of course, they had to invent a special pen just to HANDLE that ink...
the results were... mixed (great pen, not so great ink...)
http://www.richardspens.com/ref/care/51_ink.htm
As noted in Mr Binder's article, quick drying doesn't really "dry" faster, it absorbs into the paper. A coated paper will resist penetration better than say the cheap recycled Staples pad I have that I hatefully refer to as "The Worst Paper IN THE WORLD" (read it in a Jeremy Clarkson voice, it's better that way) Where just about ANY ink dries almost instantly due to the paper soaking it up (and spreading, and feathering and bleeding through...)
I have a bottle of noodler's Q-E'ternity, a quick drying blue black, and I can watch it sink into the paper. There is little/no "wet trail" behind the nib. A lot of the bulletproof noodler's inks do that for me. Of course, those same inks are the ones I have feathering and bleeding issues with... (I'm looking at you Legal Blue and 54th Mass...)
so azkid basically called it: "...Maybe there is some kind of trade off in using chemicals that promote faster drying."
This is personal reflection and not anything scientific...
You have dry pens and wet pens... No two pens are alike...
Try a Kyo no Oto ink in a dry pen. It feels like writing with a fingernail on chalkboard.....
And then there's the paper... Most Inks on Tomoe River take their sweet time to dry....
Polar Brown dries in less than 2 seconds on Rhodia with a medium nib.. On TR it takes 45 seconds.....though it shades..;)
Which brings me to the nib, a Jinhao 450 fude nib with the same Polar Brown takes much longer to dry, than a fine nib....
So traditional extra fine/fine nibs will alleviate the "smudge" problem..
Some inks take their sweet time to dry and some never, like Noodler's Red black, (a beautiful ink, btw) but unless diluted they will smudge for eternity....
Personally I like wet inks. There's a sensual feeling of smoothness when the nib glides on the paper and dries in reasonable time. I have bought a bottle of ink just for that sensation.
And then there's the hypnotic way how the ink pools and how it shades when wet...... with a dry ink you won't achieve that.....
I've also had wet inks that dry fast. Noodler's General of the Armies is super wet, but dries instantaneously.
Moral of the story is pair the right pen with the right ink and you'll be fine....
And a little smudge here and there is the beaut of fountain pens, something that you can never achieve with a ball pen....:p
Quote:
Originally Posted by hogwldfltr
Welcome to my southpaw world. ;)
I've gotten used to shielding the page with a piece of paper. Some inks need it more than others, especially on some papers. I am talking to YOU, Tomoe River!
Is there a listing of inks and their rate of drying or adsorption anywhere; it seems awfully complicated to try to unravel the mystery either by experimentation or research. FWIW, although I started as an English major I eventually ended up with a Chem E. degree as well. Thanks all for taking the time to reply. Also enjoyed the article on Parker ink formulation!!!
An oxymoron if ever there was one.Quote:
Originally Posted by INeedAFinancialAdvisor
My own technologically advanced solution to slow drying inks is... blotting paper.
You can definitely ask for ink recommendations here and ask about faster drying or other parameters and get some good input.
Most of the reviews I've seen here and online mention drying time. Also online stores like Goulet sometimes have customer ratings that include a dry time rating scale (like 1-5).
These days I get samples based solely on color and then evaluate dry time and water fastness, flow, and other behaviors in a couple of well-known pens for myself before thinking about buying a bottle.
I keep an ink and pen journal to write how different inks work in different pens. Over time I get a feel for a few key inks and pens. That's probably overkill though :D
Nothing wrong with keeping it simple!
hogwldfltr
one word: Inkcyclopedia
Youtube. there are other great review series, but this is the one that started it all and still one of if not the best.
as to an all knowing list? not that i am aware of.
An Ink Guy has also turned out a fair number of ink reviews. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMy...I6_KGHvq0TttOw
Noodler's Polar Brown
And Noodler's BERNANKE series....they are supposed to dry instantly....
Oh and use cheap paper.....any Ink will dry/ feather instantly :)
Pelikan 4001 isn’t really slow drying. However, if you put a lot of it on less absorbent paper, it makes take a while to dry. In other words, there are factors other than ink at play. I doubt you’d get smudging if you used your Pelikan ink on newsprint with a dry writing pen with an extra fine nib.
I've small list for you for now.
Noodler's Polar Brown
Noodler's Polar Green (Bullet Proof - it can feather with very wet/wide nibs)
Noodler's Blue Nose Bear (Semi waterproof - Can feather with very wet/wide nibs)
Noodler's 54th Massachusetts (Bullet Proof -Very wet ink)
Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng (Bullet Proof - Amazing ink though not to be put in a difficult to clean pen)
Noodler's Bad Blue Heron (Bullet Proof)
Rohrer and Klingner Scabiosa (iron gall)
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